CDNS vs. FICO: Cadence Design Systems vs. Fair Isaac Stock Comparison
How do Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and Fair Isaac (FICO) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) and Fair Isaac (FICO) are both classified in the Application Software sub-industry within the broader Software industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cadence Design Systems, Inc. | Fair Isaac Corp. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Application Software |
| Market Capitalization | 87.78 billion USD | 15.22 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 10, 1987 | July 22, 1987 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.07% | -58.54% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 9.32% | -9.17% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.93% | 12.31% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 42.21% | 63.29% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.09 | 1.33 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -34.21% | -75.13% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.41M | 759.34K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.03 | -0.99 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.04 | -1.20 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) earns 22.87% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Fair Isaac (FICO) has no ROE this period.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
22.87%
- Max
- 53.85%
- CDNS
- 22.87%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
FICO
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
- FICO
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 22.52% and Fair Isaac (FICO) at 32.94% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
22.52%
- Max
- 41.17%
- CDNS
- 22.52%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
FICO
Software & Services industry group
32.94%
- Max
- 41.17%
- FICO
- 32.94%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 28.93% and Fair Isaac (FICO) at 44.72% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
28.93%
- Max
- 46.89%
- CDNS
- 28.93%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
FICO
Software & Services industry group
44.72%
- Max
- 46.89%
- FICO
- 44.72%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 22.87% | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.52% | 40.99% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 22.52% | 32.94% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 28.93% | 44.72% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 85.68% | 86.13% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 27.33% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.12% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for FICO.
EPS Growth
Both Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 5.45% and Fair Isaac (FICO) at 36.85% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 14.12% | 27.33% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.14% | 18.76% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 5.45% | 36.85% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 9.53% | 28.97% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 1.36 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Fair Isaac (FICO) at 0.99 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for FICO.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
1.36
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- CDNS
- 1.36
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
FICO
Software & Services industry group
0.99
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- FICO
- 0.99
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41 against its industry range, while Fair Isaac (FICO) reports no figure this period.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
0.41
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- CDNS
- 0.41
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
FICO
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
- FICO
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.36 | 0.99 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.41 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.57 | 3.86 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) nor Fair Isaac (FICO) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CDNS
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FICO
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- FICO
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) nor Fair Isaac (FICO) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CDNS
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FICO
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- FICO
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 19.40 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 63.60 sits in the richer quartile — CDNS needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
63.60
- Max
- 112.94
- CDNS
- 63.60
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
FICO
Software & Services industry group
19.40
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- FICO
- 19.40
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Fair Isaac (FICO) at 6.00 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) at 14.31 sits in the pricier quartile — CDNS costs more per dollar of sales.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
14.31
- Max
- 17.91
- CDNS
- 14.31
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
FICO
Software & Services industry group
6.00
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- FICO
- 6.00
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Fair Isaac (FICO) reports a negative P/B ratio of -3.90, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Cadence Design Systems (CDNS) reports 12.77, ranking against industry peers normally.
CDNS
Software & Services industry group
12.77
- Max
- 16.63
- CDNS
- 12.77
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
FICO
Software & Services industry group
-3.90
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- FICO
- -3.90
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CDNS | FICO |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 63.60 | 19.40 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 14.31 | 6.00 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 12.77 | -3.90 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.99% | 6.54% |